Three Words
by Inimitable and Original
Summary: May's been visiting Coulson every day since he got sick and fell into a coma, talking to him and telling him stories. When Simmons makes a visit, what changes? Philinda. Two shot.
1. Three Words

Melinda May pulled the door to the med-bay open emotionlessly. This was the eleventh day she'd been visiting her closest friend, Phil Coulson. As she walked into his room, she bit her lip, desperately trying not to cry and do her best to block out the rhythmic beeping and alarms from the hospital equipment. Closing her eyes and breathing in deeply, she took a seat next to his hospital bed. Her breathing faltering, May began to stroke Coulson's hand.

"So Captain America and Falcon managed to take down a Hydra base last night-they had some help from Winter Soldier." May said, trying to sound happy. Being Coulson's oldest friend, she knew all about his fanboy obsession with Captain America. May sighed. She told the story, however, knowing that Coulson wouldn't be able to respond broke her heart.

"Phil..." May trailed off, sighing once again and hanging her head, just continuing to stroke Coulson's hand.

May was interrupted after a few minutes when she heard the door to Phil's room being opened. She looked up and saw Jemma Simmons standing in the doorway.

"Checking on Phil?" May asked. "Well, there's been no change in his condition."

"Maybe not, but there's been one in yours." Simmons sighed. "May, you need to look after yourself." She said, choosing to block Phil out of her sight. He was still there, lingering in the periphery of her vision.

"I'm fine, Simmons." May insisted.

"You're not." Simmons said softly. "Think about Phil. Would he want you to worry about him like this-to the point of not eating? And when was the last time you showered?" May cast her eyes downwards. "Was it before Coulson fell ill?" May nodded. "Oh, May..."

"Simmons, I don't want you judging me. You should remember how you felt when it was Fitz..."

"I'm not judging you, May and I never will." Simmons' eyes moved over to Coulson and she let out a choked sob. Simmons couldn't take her gaze away from all the machines surrounding her boss, both dwarfing him and keeping him alive, particularly on the tube in his mouth that she knew was snaking its way down his throat and his closed eyes.

"I know it's hard to see him this way." May said, trying to remain as emotionless as possible.

"How did it come to this so fast?" Simmons asked, forcing her eyes back onto May.

"I don't know." May said honestly, shrugging. "One day he had a little cough and the next... This." She gestured to her comatose friend. "Turns out that that 'little cough'..." May did quotation marks in the air. "Well, it was actually pneumonia. And because of his refusal to get it treated, Coulson's in critical condition." May turned to Coulson. "Phil, you idiot! I'll only forgive you for this if you promise me you'll wake up!" Phil continued to lie on the hospital bed, unmoving. "Please, Phil..." May said, softer.

"May..." Simmons' voice was breaking. "Coulson will wake up when he's ready."

"What if he never does?" May's gaze never moved away from Phil. His scarred chest moving up and down with the artificial breaths of the ventilator keeping him alive.

"He will." Simmons said adamantly. "He was skewered by a crazy Norse God."

"But that killed him." May said, gently stroking Coulson's cheek.

"Yes. It did." Simmons agreed. "But he's alive _now_."

"Barely."

"May, please." Simmons said, walking over to the elder agent. "You need to look after yourself. You need sleep." She put her arm around May.

"Not until Phil's better." May said, shaking her head.

"You not sleeping won't make Coulson better." Simmons said softly as she rubbed May's arm. "You looking after yourself will help Coulson's recovery. And I'm speaking from experience here." The two women's eyes met briefly before May's eyes focused back on Coulson.

"Fine." May grunted. "But give me a minute first."

"Of course." Simmons said, walking back to the door. She looked back and saw May leaning into Coulson's ear and she thought she could make out three little words she would never hear come from Melinda May... I love you.

* * *

**A/N: So I ship Coulson and May. Why not? They seem perfect for each other. This is just an idea that came to me in one of my lectures. Written during the lecture too in the space of about half an hour. I don't like it as much as I like my other stories because I didn't put a lot of time or effort into it, but a friend who saw it did, so here it is, I guess. **


	2. Four Words

"May! Wake up!" May heard someone calling her. She was sleeping properly since the first time Phil fell ill.

"Wha...?" She muttered, half asleep. "Hoozit?"

"It's me. Simmons." Simmons said.

"Simmons..." May muttered.

"It's about Phil." Simmons said urgently

"What about Phil?" May said, now alert after reasoning that Simmons never used his first name. "Oh God he's dead isn't he?" Dread filled her voice.

"Quite the opposite, May." Simmons said with a half a smile. "He's awake."

May calmed herself down and smiled back. "Good." She said, climbing out of bed.

"You're going to see him now, aren't you?"

"Damn right." May answered. "It's been three weeks. I want to see my best friend."

The two began to make their way into the med-bay. Once in the med-bay, May rushed to Coulson's bedside and held his hand. Coulson's eyes were closed, but the breathing tube had been taken out in favor of an oxygen mask.

"You said he was awake."

"Waking up from a coma takes a long time." Simmons said. "Believe it or not, he's probably just sleeping the coma off. But he's definitely out of it now."

"How long?"

"Uh... A week. Probably. Given that he's been out for three." Simmons shrugged. "But I don't know for certain. I'm not his doctor."

* * *

At a more reasonable hour that same morning, May found herself, once again, at Coulson's bedside. She'd found his iPod and was playing songs to him, by jazz artists she'd never heard of and didn't care about in the hopes that Coulson would show her some sign of consciousness.

"Thor went back to Asgard yesterday." May sighed. "He still doesn't know you're alive. You promised Sif you'd tell him. You never told him." She began to rub his hand. "Please open your eyes and go tell him when he gets back."

"He's awake, May."

"Simmons!" May said in surprise. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough." Simmons replied. "They say he's awake. You playing soft jazz to him isn't really going to change anything." May shrugged.

"It might."

"How?"

"Familiarity is soothing." May exhaled.

"I know he's your best friend." Simmons said, looking on at the pair. "But..."

"Best friend doesn't cut it." May said over Simmons.

"There's a mountain of paperwork in Coulson's office."

"Can't you take care of it?" May asked.

"I would, only _you're_ acting director."

"Stay with him, Jemma. Please." May said as she walked out of the room. Simmons then went to sit down by Coulson's bedside.

* * *

May was sitting down in Coulson's office sorting out his paperwork when Fitz burst in.

"So is it true about the uh... About Coulson?" He asked. "That he's awake?"

"Yes." May said, not looking up from the papers.

"That's good, isn't it?" He asked.

"I guess." May said emotionlessly.

"What's wrong? Has something happened?" Fitz asked.

"He's not properly awake."

"But he's out of the coma?" May nodded.

"Apparently so." She looked up at the intrusive Scot in front of her.

"Then it's good." Fitz smiled.

"Close the door on your way out." May said, pointing to the door.

"Oh... Uh... Right. Sorry." Fitz shrugged as he left Coulson's office. However, no sooner did he leave that Skye burst in.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She demanded and folded her arms. "Coulson's awake. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because Simmons came into my quarters at 3am." May explained. "The way she acted made me think Phil died again." She sighed. "I've been with him since, apart from the last 20 minutes or so."

"Phil Coulson won't die, May." Skye's expression softened. "Okay, He _has _already die_d, _but not again_. _He's too tough."

"How do you mean?" May asked, looking up at Skye.

"I mean he's died, come back to life and now he's rebuilding SHIELD." Skye smiled softly. "Coulson will be fine."

"You think so?" May asked.

"_Think_?" Skye scoffed. "I _know_ so." She walked out of Coulson's office. May sat back in the chair she was sitting in and absently played with a pen.

* * *

The next day, May went to see Coulson again, armed with his iPod. When she walked into his room, she noticed his eyes were open and tracking her as she walked up to him.

"Phil." She said, close to tears. "You're going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay."

"I know." He whispered back hoarsely.

"I've been doing your paperwork for you. Figured I'd save you the trouble when you got back on your feet again." She wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Sorry I put you through this." Coulson flashed her a small smile. "Melinda."

"How are you feeling?"

"Like shit." Coulson grunted. "By the way I heard what you said."

"About Thor?" May asked thoughtfully.

"No." Coulson shook his head. "Just to let you know..." He smirked. "I love you too."

* * *

**A/N: So this is now a two-shot. I had to give it resolution rather than keeping Coulson in a coma-I like him and May too much for that. There may be a sequel. **


End file.
